Shooting a bear in your yard

I have bears in my yard one or two times per year.Typically they run off as soon as I go outside.However, I now have one that is hanging around and it doesn't run when it sees me. It stomps, huffs, clacks, and has charged at me. When it charged at me I fired a shot in the dirt and it retreated to the back of the yard but did not really go that far or that fast.I have young kids so I want this bear gone.I am considering the three S approach (Shoot, Shovel, Shut up) but my property is not secluded enough to guarantee nosey neighbors don't get involved.I am also considering giving it a little 22 long rifle to the butt to get him motivated to move on.Any other suggestions? Thanks.

Replies

I'm sure you'll get lots of great answers from this forum but you've already gone past the "shut up" part. Call FWC, call the local news, call the Governor. Just be happy it isn*t a panther. Good luck.

One of the positives to come out of the Bear Stakeholder Meetings was a alteration to state law to allow "hazing" of bears. You need to look into the legal means available to you as bears can be conditioned to stay away from unpleasant situations just as they can be conditioned to come for food.

Might also consider doing a bit of investigating in the area to see if there are new sources of food present that are causing more than the occasional passing through of a bear. This may be a neighbor feeding their animals or wildlife or possibly unsecured garbage in the immediate area.

Between the removal of the source of attraction and the application of legal annoyance ( hazing ) it should be fairly easy to run a recurring bear off permanently.

One other thing to consider is what time of year it is. Bears in Florida tend to give birth around the first week of February with the little ones making their initial trips out of the den with mom at about this time. Could well be that if what you are seeing is very recent in nature, and if there are no food source new to the area, that it is a female with cubs close by. Which, again without the draw of food and with some legal annoyance can be remedied with out putting yourself in legal limbo.

I too have problem bears..Thanks FWC for releasing them near my house..I put a speaker next to my garbage cans one night and blasted Ricky Martin , Livin the vita loca when he showed up again.Haven't seen him for 2 months now..

When one believes their life is in danger from an animal it is legal to kill it even if it is one of state of Florida's religious deities (e.g. bear,panther). Be prepared to be interrogated, intimidated, accused etc. as if you were a murderer. Your description of events leading to your action better include biologically accepted animal behavior characteristics that indicate the animal was in the kill you mode. One source for this info could be to google "Hererro black bear" - he studied them for decades. The description one relays to interrogators must be consistent as you are asked over and over to relay it to multiple law enforcement officials and possibly others. Wouldn't say 1 word to press/media. Good Luck finding a solution.

Whatever else you do, DON'T shoot him anywhere with a .22 LR. Many people don't realize the power a little .22 packs - many, many Deer have been killed with a .22 and even Moose have been brought down with them.

If you do shoot him with a .22, several things are possible:1. Could cause a nasty wound that could well get badly infected2. Could get into a joint or nerve bundle and cripple it for life3. Could Very Well really p*ss him off and bring a deadly, for real charge4. Could get you into very serious legal trouble with DFG, as well as local police.

Check with DFG and/or law enforcement for rubber bullets for whatever other guns you may own.

Check with DFG and/or sporting goods stores for 12 gauge crackers. They'll shoot a pyrotechnic about 100 ft that then explodes with a very loud bang. Very effective. (fun, too)

In PA we would call the Game Commission they will trap and relocate, maybe contact FWC. Also we can purchase rubber bullets for shotgun they work well. A friend shot one at a bear (back side) hit hard, bounced off and bear never returned (check for legalities). Good Luck.

You can always do what the global head of safety for my company told my crew and I to do in the case of armed attackers trying to gain access on my tugboat; "squirt them with the fire hose." Lol, and shake my head... Yeah right...

I have bears in my yard one or two times per year.Typically they run off as soon as I go outside.However, I now have one that is hanging around and it doesn't run when it sees me. It stomps, huffs, clacks, and has charged at me. When it charged at me I fired a shot in the dirt and it retreated to the back of the yard but did not really go that far or that fast.I have young kids so I want this bear gone.I am considering the three S approach (Shoot, Shovel, Shut up) but my property is not secluded enough to guarantee nosey neighbors don't get involved.I am also considering giving it a little 22 long rifle to the butt to get him motivated to move on.Any other suggestions? Thanks.

There's only one reason why that bear would do that...and you and I both know what it is.The fact that your posting this here and speaking of shooting it means to me your an **********I think you should post all the information, if you want conclusive advice.

Arguing with idiots is like playing chess with a pigeon... No matter how good you are, the bird is going to crap on the board and strut around like it won anyway. nj

There's only one reason why that bear would do that...and you and I both know what it is.The fact that your posting this here and speaking of shooting it means to me your an **********I think you should post all the information, if you want conclusive advice.

Haha. That's awesome. Glad you made it. We were wondering when the bear peoope would show up.Unfortunately I'm too dense to figure out what your talking about. If you have a tip that would help me (besides getting F'd) don't keep it to yourself.😘💓

OK, I will be the devils advocate. The bear was here first, so give em space. Be careful with your kids and pets and garbage and birdseed, etc. Chill out and enjoy "wild kingdom" in your back yard. You are lucky, many people never see a Florida bear. Get some good photos and enjoy the ultimate in animal watching.

First posts on this forum are always "suspect" . The agendas pursued show how little some people have to do. A quick scan through "Off Topic" is proof enough. Getting tiresome. "little .22 long rifle to the butt" was my tip off. No such thing as a "little .22 long rifle" to anywhere. A .22 will kill you. Most on a sportsman forum know that.

First posts on this forum are always "suspect" . The agendas pursued show how little some people have to do. A quick scan through "Off Topic" is proof enough. Getting tiresome. "little .22 long rifle to the butt" was my tip off. No such thing as a "little .22 long rifle" to anywhere. A .22 will kill you. Most on a sportsman forum know that.

Listen guys, killing the bear would be a last resort. Piantballs, pellets guns, slingshots and my new favorite idea of Roman candle are all better options.Although if I thought I could get away with it I would just shoot the **** thing.

I knida do like Cyclist and just enjoy watching them.Yea they get into my garbage but that's on me for leaving a Buffet outside.Now if one charged me all bets are off..but most everyone I've seen run away real fast.Respect Not Fear thru Knowledge.

Lady I work with - bear was trying to get at her dog in kennel, husband went out to save dog, ended up in kennel with dog, bear trying to get in. Guy was armed but held fire. They called FWC and were told it was a good thing the guy didn't kill the bear - they would arrest him if he did. FWC also would not trap bear, just offered to help them bear-proof yard.

Good luck with that thing - you know society is messed up when an aggressive animal has more rights than people.

I'm not a big one for aggressive animals around kids or myself even. Dangerous bear should = dead bear IMO. The ones I've seen in the ONF have always run.

My neighbor rigged a air hose and a camera on a bowl of cat food - gives raccoons and opossums a blast. Maybe you could rig a line and "blow the bear away" with some pressurized air. Couple of encounters like that and I'd think it would avoid your yard. Just can't bait it in to do that... How to set up an air line where the bear would be naturally?

Lady I work with - bear was trying to get at her dog in kennel, husband went out to save dog, ended up in kennel with dog, bear trying to get in. Guy was armed but held fire. They called FWC and were told it was a good thing the guy didn't kill the bear - they would arrest him if he did. FWC also would not trap bear, just offered to help them bear-proof yard.

Good luck with that thing - you know society is messed up when an aggressive animal has more rights than people.

I'm not a big one for aggressive animals around kids or myself even. Dangerous bear should = dead bear IMO. The ones I've seen in the ONF have always run.

My neighbor rigged a air hose and a camera on a bowl of cat food - gives raccoons and opossums a blast. Maybe you could rig a line and "blow the bear away" with some pressurized air. Couple of encounters like that and I'd think it would avoid your yard. Just can't bait it in to do that... How to set up an air line where the bear would be naturally?

I would say a bear acting like a normal bear and people being stupid....move to the country and suburbs then **** and whine....